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The Superbowl has long been one of man’s last havens of masculinity–beer in hand, buddies, football, munchies. It was simple: man in his element. Pure masculinity. This was the last fortress to call his own. Yet, the commercials in this year’s Superbowl lineup seem to show otherwise. Even here, in the bastion of masculinity, utter gender confusion and questions surrounding what it means to “be a man” are surfacing.

While there were the usual and expected sexy and fun ads by Bud Light and Coke, this year saw an infusion of another breed of ads aimed at “modern man”, whomever that may be. A brief look at four commercials and their commentary on changing male roles and expectations, reveals an opportunity for brands to step in and help define what masculinity means for men of the new millennium.

Enter the metrosexual.

Women may love them, other man may raise their unibrow at them, but, no matter the reaction, we are seeing an undeniable rise of the metrosexual. The fact that we see ads speaking to this new metrosexual (a breed of heterosexual man concerned with his physical appearance and in touch with his emotions in a way that may have been questioned in the past) appear in the Superbowl is testament to just how large this target audience has become.

Dove Men’s line is a great example of a metrosexual commercial. It is aimed at the growing number of men tossing aside the traditional signifiers of masculinity (ie, the two second shower and simple hair toss back) in favor of beauty regimes formerly aimed exclusively at women. Men, such as this growing number of metrosexuals, no longer use those products abandoned in the shower by their significant other. They proactively find products that suit their individual needs.

Branding implication: There is huge potential for brands in the health and beauty category to extend their reach to men, and not just a small niche audience of “metrosexuals” but really a huge audience of men who are taking control of their own physical wellbeing and are “feeling comfortable in their own skin”. Now add that to the list along with “be good at sports”, “be strong”, “lift weights” and the bar has been raised again for men.

Expectations overload.

Dove was certainly not the only commercial to show that men are having more and more expectations placed on them. Dockers’ ad “I wear no pants” is another interesting commentary on male identity. In it, men are seemingly chanting in universal pride and brotherhood that they “wear no pants.” At first, the message can be interpreted as liberation from societal expectations (go naked! Wear a skirt!), but then at the end of the commercial Dockers decrees: “It’s time to wear the pants.” Again, mixed messages about masculinity are posed here. Pants cam be interpreted as the traditional symbol of the male and a differentiator from the female (think of the bathroom signs, woman=skirt, man=pants) and can be interpreted as an attempt to regain authority “as a man.”

Branding implication: Brands that reaffirm some aspect of traditional masculinity or macho-ness may become more popular as masculinity gets diluted. This may provide opportunity for brands to come in and serve as the steadfast male role, to boost traditional blue collar values, or to simply represent male signifiers.

Battle of the Sexes.

Dodge also captures this quest to resassert masculinity in its Superbowl commercial. Dodge outlines a long list of things that men may have conceded to their girlfriend but ends the commercial declaring that the Dodge Charger is not one of these concessions. The Charger is for him. No compromises. Interesting to note that this whole commercial is framed through a battle of sorts between what men will and will not succumb to. In the past, for example, it may have been acceptable for men to leave their underwear on the floor and have it straightened up after him. Nope. The excuse “men will be men” doesn’t resonate today and there will be no cleaning or parenting exceptions based on gender. What this commercial does bring into question is what the battles that men fight for, or “last stands” they choose will be. Dodge, for one, is claiming cars.

Branding implication: There is room for brands to sculpt out those bastions of masculinity that are no holds bars, unapologetically for men and put their fork in it.

This “battle” or gender struggle is also played out in the FloTV commercial in which the “girlfriend has removed his spine” and has effeminized him by having him sniff lilac and wear a skirt. What these commercials show is that gender relations do not happen in a vacuum. They are dynamic and affect both male and female brands.

Branding implication: Going forward, we might see opportunity for “coed” brands that are fair, equitable and show empathy toward the struggles of men and women as they evolve their gender identity in the home and workplace—helping create a compromise between the two genders that doesn’t compromise either’s sense of self.

—-

The fact that commentary on changing gender roles has infiltrated one of if not the most masculine event left—the Superbowl– is a testament to the magnitude of the cultural changes underway. This gender confusion and seeming lack of a clear male role model or definition of masculinity provides significant opportunity for shepherd brands to come in and help lead the redefinition. It may be messy, and it may be controversial, but it is necessary and a great opportunity for many a brave brand to become a category leader.

Image by StillSearc from Stock.Xchng

Rich Text Area Toolbar Bold (Ctrl + B) Italic (Ctrl + I) Strikethrough (Alt + Shift + D) Unordered list (Alt + Shift + U) Ordered list (Alt + Shift + O) Blockquote (Alt + Shift + Q) Align Left (Alt + Shift + L) Align Center (Alt + Shift + C) Align Right (Alt + Shift + R) Insert/edit link (Alt + Shift + A) Unlink (Alt + Shift + S) Insert More Tag (Alt + Shift + T) Toggle spellchecker (Alt + Shift + N) ▼ Toggle fullscreen mode (Alt + Shift + G) Show/Hide Kitchen Sink (Alt + Shift + Z) Styles Styles ▼ Format – Paragraph Paragraph ▼ Underline Align Full (Alt + Shift + J) Select text color ▼ Paste as Plain Text Paste from Word Remove formatting Insert custom character Outdent Indent Undo (Ctrl + Z) Redo (Ctrl + Y) Help (Alt + Shift + H) The Superbowl has long been one of man’s last havens of masculinity–beer in hand, buddies, football, munchies. It was simple: man in his element. Pure masculinity. This was the last fortress to call his own. Yet, the commercials in this year’s Superbowl lineup seem to show otherwise. Even here, in the bastion of masculinity, utter gender confusion and questions surrounding what it means to “be a man” are surfacing. While there were the usual and expected sexy and fun ads by Bud Light and Coke, this year saw an infusion of another breed of ads aimed at “modern man”, whomever that may be. A brief look at four commercials and their commentary on changing male roles and expectations, reveals an opportunity for brands to step in and help define what masculinity means for men of the new millennium. Enter the metrosexual. Women may love them, other man may raise their unibrow at them, but, no matter the reaction, we are seeing an undeniable rise of the metrosexual. The fact that we see ads speaking to this new metrosexual (a breed of heterosexual man concerned with his physical appearance and in touch with his emotions in a way that may have been questioned in the past) appear in the Superbowl is testament to just how large this target audience has become. Dove Men’s line is a great example of a metrosexual commercial. It is aimed at the growing number of men tossing aside the traditional signifiers of masculinity (ie, the two second shower and simple hair toss back) in favor of beauty regimes formerly aimed exclusively at women. Men, such as this growing number of metrosexuals, no longer use those products abandoned in the shower by their significant other. They proactively find products that suit their individual needs. Branding implication: There is huge potential for brands in the health and beauty category to extend their reach to men, and not just a small niche audience of “metrosexuals” but really a huge audience of men who are taking control of their own physical wellbeing and are “feeling comfortable in their own skin”. Now add that to the list along with “be good at sports”, “be strong”, “lift weights” and the bar has been raised again for men. Expectations overload. Dove was certainly not the only commercial to show that men are having more and more expectations placed on them. Dockers’ ad “I wear no pants” is another interesting commentary on male identity. In it, men are seemingly chanting in universal pride and brotherhood that they “wear no pants.” At first, the message can be interpreted as liberation from societal expectations (go naked! Wear a skirt!), but then at the end of the commercial Dockers decrees: “It’s time to wear the pants.” Again, mixed messages about masculinity are posed here. Pants cam be interpreted as the traditional symbol of the male and a differentiator from the female (think of the bathroom signs, woman=skirt, man=pants) and can be interpreted as an attempt to regain authority “as a man.” Branding implication: Brands that reaffirm some aspect of traditional masculinity or macho-ness may become more popular as masculinity gets diluted. This may provide opportunity for brands to come in and serve as the steadfast male role, to boost traditional blue collar values, or to simply represent male signifiers. Battle of the Sexes. Dodge also captures this quest to resassert masculinity in its Superbowl commercial. Dodge outlines a long list of things that men may have conceded to their girlfriend but ends the commercial declaring that the Dodge Charger is not one of these concessions. The Charger is for him. No compromises. Interesting to note that this whole commercial is framed through a battle of sorts between what men will and will not succumb to. In the past, for example, it may have been acceptable for men to leave their underwear on the floor and have it straightened up after him. Nope. The excuse “men will be men” doesn’t resonate today and there will be no cleaning or parenting exceptions based on gender. What this commercial does bring into question is what the battles that men fight for, or “last stands” they choose will be. Dodge, for one, is claiming cars. Branding implication: There is room for brands to sculpt out those bastions of masculinity that are no holds bars, unapologetically for men and put their fork in it. This “battle” or gender struggle is also played out in the FloTV commercial in which the “girlfriend has removed his spine” and has effeminized him by having him sniff lilac and wear a skirt. What these commercials show is that gender relations do not happen in a vacuum. They are dynamic and affect both male and female brands. Branding implication: Going forward, we might see opportunity for “coed” brands that are fair, equitable and show empathy toward the struggles of men and women as they evolve their gender identity in the home and workplace—helping create a compromise between the two genders that doesn’t compromise either’s sense of self. —- The fact that commentary on changing gender roles has infiltrated one of if not the most masculine event left—the Superbowl– is a testament to the magnitude of the cultural changes underway. This gender confusion and seeming lack of a clear male role model or definition of masculinity provides significant opportunity for shepherd brands to come in and help lead the redefinition. It may be messy, and it may be controversial, but it is necessary and a great opportunity for many a brave brand to become a category leader. Image by StillSearc from Stock.Xchng Path : p